Fire Pump Building / Tank Replacement

The Metropolitan Transit Authority is replacing its existing fire pump building and water tank at the Hiram Clarke Bus Operating Facility in Houston. This new construction project, located at 4175 Uptown Dr, involves a 360 sq ft structure designed to improve safety infrastructure for the bus depot. The total estimated cost for this specific scope of work is $110,000.

Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. serves as the design firm of record for this project. The firm is responsible for the architectural and engineering plans required for the new fire pump building and tank replacement. The project is registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under the name Fire Pump Building / Tank Replacement, with Eddie Hare listed as the registered accessibility specialist.

Construction Timeline and Status

The project was registered with TDLR in August 2026, and plan review is pending. Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2026, with a completion date targeted for December 2027. This scheduled build window of 459 days is longer than the county median of 219 days for similar new construction filings in Harris County. The project status is listed as Project Registered, indicating that the administrative process is underway but physical construction has not yet commenced.

Financially, the project’s estimated cost of $110,000 is below the county median for new construction in Harris County, which stands at $750,000. However, the cost per square foot is $306, which is above the county median of $88 per square foot. This variance reflects the specialized nature of fire safety infrastructure and the specific engineering requirements for the water tank replacement. The project is privately funded on private land for private use by the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The surrounding area, identified by ZIP code 77045, has a population of about 32,482 and a median household income of $61,166, according to U.S. Census American Community Survey 2023 estimates. The Hiram Clarke facility is a known location for METRO bus operations, with third-party mapping services like Waze providing driving directions to the address. The project represents a focused infrastructure upgrade rather than a large-scale expansion, maintaining the existing footprint while modernizing critical safety systems.